One wants to build a better puffer; the other tracks butterflies as an indicator of climate change.

One has received $193,000 funding from the province and its research infrastructure program, while the other is one of 17 young researchers in Ottawa who each received $100,000.

Yesterday, the minister for health promotion, Jim Watson, announced the winners of the third round of the Early Researcher Award program as well as the 15 projects benefiting from the research infrastructure program, funds to build and equip research labs.

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Carleton University's Edgar Matida, above, and Banu Ormeci, received funding awards to continue their research. Mr. Matida is studying how to improve inhalers, while Ms. Ormeci is striving to improve the way waste water is treated. The awards are part of program to support emerging researchers.

Rod MacIvor, The Ottawa Citizen

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Carleton University's Edgar Matida will have new equipment with which to figure out why two-thirds of an inhaler's dose never makes it to the lungs. It gets lost in the mouth and throat, explained the professor at the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

"We want to understand the physics of the flow of the spray, measure the size of the droplets, how they travel," he said. His research will also look into the "chambers" children use with their inhalers. Those are of a simple cylindrical design, but Mr. Matida thinks he can improve a puffer's performance by designing a better chamber.

At the University of Ottawa, Jeremy Kerr of the department of biology will lead a team of eight mapping the habitat of butterflies from one end of the country to the other.

"We want to build a national baseline of information to complete historical data on butterflies dating back to 1870," he said.

"Over the course of two or three summers, with a field vehicle, we'll blitz and make the first systematic survey of butterflies. We'll see if the weather model predicting big changes is true," Mr. Kerr added.

Early researchers from Carleton University include physicist David Asner and biologist Steven Cooke, who is looking into the fate of fish released by anglers after they get caught.

Shelley Hepworth's research focuses on the genes of flowers, while Banu Ormeci's work will improve the way waste water is treated. Ms. Ormeci received $211,490 to continue her research.

From the University of Ottawa, the early researchers include David Doloreux, investigating how regional clusters of industries affect innovation. Frithjof Lutscher, meanwhile, will develop mathematical models to understand the biological dynamics of river ecosystems.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007